The Unexpected
by DayDreamWriter
Summary: Everything in life happens for a reason, most of it is unexpected. Luka is about to learn that very lesson. Updated!
1. Chapter 1

_Some basic story information:_

_This story popped into my head after I watched a recent episode of ER. I was horrified by how many relations (they can barely be classified as relationships) with women Luka has had over the course of the last year or so. I thought by typing it up it would go away. Instead it took on a life of its own. After a few shabby starts everything seems to be coming together. Feedback is always appreciated. And if this story turns out as well as I hope it will all the credit goes to my wonderful beta Naomi._

_Rating: Deals with some pretty adult themes. If you're too young or shouldn't be reading this don't._

_Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape or form own ER the show or characters. Though I wouldn't mind "owning" Luka._

[Setting: Late April 2004. Outside County General, around 8:00 pm. Weather is fairly cold for late spring.]

"Luka…Luka Kovac?"

The hesitant female voice was so quiet he almost didn't hear or turn around. He did turn; it was more of a mechanical response than an acknowledgement of someone's presence. The woman standing in front of him garnered no immediate recognition. She was bundled up tight against the chilly night air. All he could really make out was that she was very slight in stature with a youthful innocent face that made her look all of fifteen years old. He squinted, trying to figure out who she was, what she wanted, and how she knew his name. She was rather pretty, with light brown skin and dark eyes. Her hair and neck concealed by a blue knit cap and muffler. Her age could have been anywhere between fifteen and twenty-five. Her height, or lack of height, made it nearly impossible to guess. She was definitely an American; her accent was unmistakable. Luka's close scrutiny seemed to unnerve her, first she grew pale and then she blushed softly.

"It is you, I wasn't … I, uh, well you probably don't remember me." she trailed off, biting her lower lip.

He hadn't recognized her but there was no mistaking that peculiar little trait. All of sudden he was no longer standing in the cold crisp Chicago night. Instead, he was once again in the humid stifling heat of an African day.

* * *

The air was thick with dust and flies and foul odors. The road was little more then a wide trodden path of mud, dirt and ruts. Their vehicles barely had the necessary parts. Adequate suspension, power steering, and AC were unheard of luxuries, making the trip even more difficult. Progress was slow despite the few vehicles on the road; it was heavily congested with people. Suppressing a yawn, Luka stared out the window. What he saw was all too familiar and sad. Sighing, he turned his head to the other side of the road. And his eyes locked with hers'. At first he thought he was seeing things.

_Is that really her standing there, on the side of the road?_

_Can she see me? Does she even recognize me?_

Luka blinked a few times, but the figure in front of him did not disappear. It really was her standing there. When she bit on her lip and took a half step in his direction, he knew that she had seen him as well. But there was nothing he could do. His vehicle had already started to move on down the road. He could only stare out the side and back windows until she disappeared from view. He sat back in his seat, lost in thought and remembrance.

* * *

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be here! I'll leave, sorry for disturbing you Doctor- Luka." she picked up something from the ground and began to retreat.

He shook away the memories. Reaching out he grabbed onto her coat sleeve. "NO. Stay. Please. I was just surprised. How…how are you Sarah?"

_So, how was that for drama? I would love some input, please._


	2. Chapter 2

_To the readers:_

_I have decided that the story I've written (or typed rather) has not lived up to the storyline in my head and am in the middle of a massive re-write. The plot is still the same, as are all the characters. I just felt as if I didn't do this story justice with what I had written. Basically, I'm making some much needed improvements. Please bear with me and as always feedback would be appreciated. Yours, DDW_

[Setting: Congo jungle, abandoned building, somewhere near Matenda. Early night. April 2003. (About the time Carter first arrived in Kissangani.)]

Luka pushed his way through the heavy underbrush, trying to find a safe place to wait out the night. He had become separated from his group some time ago. A violent clash between government soldiers and a small group of rebels had forced them to flee the clinic. Weapons did not discriminate between armed combatants and innocent bystanders. He was lost, with no supplies and little hope of finding the others until daybreak.

Through the darkness he spotted the vague outline of what looked to be a building ahead. The closer he came the more it seemed he had found a place to hole up for the night. It was a single-story cinderblock square with a corrugated tin roof. It was badly derelict and seemed to be abandoned. For a brief moment he thought he saw movement in one of the large gaping windows. He hoped it was just rats and not something larger. Not the best accommodations but, he didn't have any better alternatives. He desperately needed a place to rest. He began to fumble for the small flashlight he always carried with him. Walking slowly but loudly (hoping to scare off any large animals) up to the entrance. Just inside the doorway a bright beam of light blinded him and he halted. Raising his hands, Luka silently prayed that whoever was holding the flashlight on him was not armed or would not shoot.

* * *

"How did you come to be here?" he asked, tilting up her chin to look into her eyes.

Sarah relished the touch of his fingers upon her face. It was pure pleasure; as was the rest of his body. She had spent the last few hours learning the curves, muscles and lines of Luka's form nearly as well as she knew her own. And he had used his lips, hands, tongue and body to gain equally personal knowledge of her. The physical intimacy they shared leading to a bond that was both mental and emotional. They bared not only their bodies but their hearts and minds as well. Complete honesty being the one (unspoken) rule. With astonishing frankness Sarah shared her secrets with a man she had met less then ten hours ago. Luka's quiet acceptance of all she told him stunned her. She didn't know that he (maybe more so then anyone she would ever meet) could truly understand.

"I've already told you so many things, how do I know I haven't said too much?" she questioned him, turning her head to kiss his fingertips.

"What do you mean?!" Luka demanded, eyes flashing. "Do you think I am the type to, as they say, kiss and talk?!"

"No! That's not it at all! The things I have told you are secrets though. And when a person tells a secret they give away more then just that secret, they give away a piece of their soul as well. Do you understand? I have trusted you with a part of my soul."

"Yes, I think I do understand. I hadn't thought of it that way, but what you say is true. I'm sorry for being so unkind. To be honest I'm amazed by the"

"The extent of my fear and neurosis?" she interrupted, trying to make light of the situation. Uncomfortable with the vulnerability she had shown.

"No, Sarah. I'm amazed by the courage, endurance and trust you have displayed. What you went through, that night, because of the rebels… it would be very easy for you to hate and fear these people, this land. Instead, you have chosen to do the exact opposite! You came here to help and have continued to do so despite everything."

"Oh yes, I'm a veritable **saint**! So pure and well-adjusted that I went completely crazy and begged you a perfect stranger to make love to me! All because I couldn't stand the noise and the violence and the darkness."

Her voice was filled with anger, doubt, and bitterness, all self-directed. For Luka it was painful to hear. He had spent years torturing himself with those very same emotions. Something he did not want Sarah to end up doing to herself. The wounds it created never quite healed, they were always there, festering, just beneath the surface. Gathering her closer to him he knew he could not let that happen.

"Well I **know** I'm not perfect, but I do have my good points. And you didn't beg me to make love to you, you ordered me to do so. Not that I minded." Luka answered, desperate to soothe her. "Beside, you aren't the only one who can't stand the noise and the dark and the violence. Nights like these remind me of things in my life I would rather forget. But no matter how hard I try I can't forget, don't forget."

"That's why you moved to America and why you came here isn't it?" Sarah softly asked. "All this done to forget. What is it you are so desperate to forget Luka?"

"My past."

_I'm having trouble with formatting, just to let you know. I hope it doesn't take away from the story but there is not much I can do._


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you to both my reviewer and Naomi, my beta. Your help and encouragement are invaluable. I know I've been slow in progressing with this story but you have shown wonderful patience. It is my sincere hope that you enjoy this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it and interacting with you. Yours, DDW_

* * *

"You haven't eaten much. Do you always eat like a bird?" 

"No, usually I have the appetite of an elephant." Sarah smiled faintly. "I guess nerves have gotten the better of me."

Luka understood, exactly, how she felt. He was a nervous wreck. So far dinner was an experience akin to walking a tightrope sixty feet in the air with no safety net. Eating dinner and engaging in polite conversation seemed bizarre considering the circumstances. But to do anything else, talk about anything else, was strictly taboo. Especially, since they were in such a public setting.

"So…how was work today?" Sarah blurted out.

"Work? Work was good. At least, it was good for being a day in the ER."

"That's… that's good."

She stared down at her plate, wondering why the hell she had just asked such an inane question. Realizing it was for the same reason she had ordered the food she wasn't eating. It was an attempt to make everything seem natural and mundane; a portrayal of normalcy. Though there wasn't anything normal about the situation. Awkward and painfully embarrassing described best how the evening was progressing. Luka appeared to be just as uncomfortable. Over the course of the meal he had overturned the sugar bowl, dropped his utensils, and sloshed nearly half of his coffee over the rim of his cup. Sarah, politely, pretended not to notice, each incident adding to her discomfort.

"So how much longer are you in town for? You said you're staying with friends?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm sort of …visiting. I probably won't be in town much longer; at least that's not the plan."

"That's nice. I mean about your staying with friends not about your leaving! Because you don't have to stay in a hotel, I lived in a hotel once and I can tell- Okay, enough is enough! Let's get out of here."

* * *

"To be honest, Sarah, I think I was less ill at ease the night we met. And our lives were in danger then!" Luka admitted turning to the woman seated next to him on his couch.

"That's because we were distracted and didn't have much time to think about anything."

"Is that what you call what happened between us, a distraction? That night represented something more than just that, at least to me."

"Luka, you couldn't even begin to comprehend what that night and our time together has meant to me! Looking back on everything I can honestly say that I wouldn't change a single event. Because then I might not have met you."

"You have this odd compulsive habit, your always biting on your lower lip. Are you aware of that? You do it all the time; you're even doing it right now." he reached out, trailing a finger along her lips. "And every time you do it, whether you're nervous or surprised or troubled, I have this urge to kiss you."

Sarah knew that if she didn't stop him would do precisely that. Then the situation would quickly spin out of control and lead to other more intimate deeds. The attraction that had drawn them to each other, once before, was still there and just as powerful. Luka was one of the most captivating and handsome men she had ever met. Her connection to him stronger than anything she had ever known with another man. Ignoring the probable consequences, she chose to act recklessly instead of responsibly. She tilted her head, a silent invitation he seized. Feeling his lips against hers sent her senses into overdrive and she forgot everything else.

* * *

Luka stroked the soft skin of Sarah's arm and shoulder. She shivered; her skin goose-bumped. In response he pulled the sheet wrapped around them higher, before continuing on with what he was saying. 

"I stayed in Africa for about six more weeks after we met, working in Kissangani and Matenda exclusively. I was forced to leave when I developed a serious case of Malaria. The very day I was leaving I spotted you on the side of the road. That was you, wasn't it?"

Suppressing a yawn, she nodded. "Yes, that was me. At first, when I saw you I thought I was hallucinating. But you looked so different and so surprised that I figured you must be real. Then you disappeared as quickly as you appeared."

"Due to my illness the possibility that you were a hallucination was likely. It was that funny little lip biting habit of yours and my friend Dr. Carter seeing you as well that convinced me that it was really you. Since he was quite healthy and the chance he was sharing my hallucinations improbable. Either that or you had an identical twin."

"Truthfully, I think being struck by lightening would have been a less jolting experience then seeing you on that road! I had been told you were dead and that your body was being searched for. Later that afternoon I found out the original report of your death had been false. I cried, thankful that you were alive and I hadn't seen an apparition. Yes, you were sick but at least you were alive and safe, out of danger."

"But you were still there and still in danger."

"Not for long, less than a week later I was on my way home as well." she whispered.

Something in her tone of voice made Luka frown, she sounded strange. Rising up on his forearm he stared down at her a look of great concern on his face.

"What happened? Was it serious? Are you okay now?" he demanded.

"Yes, I'm fine now. It was serious and took quite awhile to deal with but…You see I ...I was pregnant, just over six weeks."

* * *

_So what do you think? If there are any errors it is entirely me fault as I'm not sure I made all the neccessary corrections before posting. Even with the new tools fanfiction.net has provided I'm having trouble with formating, so bear with me. Thanks._


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